I went for a short run this morning and talked to myself out loud for the whole thing. I passed people on the street and carried on talking to myself. It was just me and... me. I did the same thing whilst driving to pick up dinner yesterday, and whilst sat in the garden a few hours earlier. I wondered whether self-talk about be different if it was... well... audible. I wondered if I could hold a single thought for longer.

It turns out that I could, and that it was weirdly helpful in thinking through something—or more accurately, thinking through a single something instead of thinking about everything everywhere all at once. I sometimes feel like I can think several things at once, but in a sort of chaotic, stressful way (and sometimes a helpful way). When I give my thoughts volume I can focus on one-ish for a hot minute.

I’m always surprised at how effective the most simple things are. Thinking out loud. Writing things down. Working on paper. Taking 10 deep breaths. It’s so tempting to overcomplicate everything, but I always end up coming back to simple things. I’ve never really tried talking to myself so intentionally before, but it’s kind of a revelation. It might even sound trite or dumb, but it doesn’t really matter. It works for me.